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Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in “a yen for a beach vacation”), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen, used in the late 19th century, was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning “opium,” and yáhn, “craving,” in the Chinese language used in the province of Guangdong. In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen, and eventually shortened to yen.
Synonyms of yen
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Noun (2)
Verb
Examples of yen in a Sentence
Noun (2)
I have a strange yen to take the day off from work
Verb
A car lover who predictably yens for the latest and greatest new models.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
Nightly rates at Imperial Hotel, Kyoto start at 164,500 yen (about $1,075).
—Leandra Beabout, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026
Between 2023 and 2025, the cost of rice, Japan’s staple food, doubled, even as the persistently weak yen attracted record numbers of foreign tourists whose spending power has increased to the same degree that locals’ has decreased.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Priced at 36,300 yen (around $235), the special-edition colorway’s style code is IQ3459-072.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yen
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Noun
The British pound , Australian dollar and the euro moved lower against the greenback, alongside the safe haven Swiss franc and Japanese yen .
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
Nightly rates at Imperial Hotel, Kyoto start at 164,500 yen (about $1,075).
—Leandra Beabout, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026
Between 2023 and 2025, the cost of rice, Japan’s staple food, doubled, even as the persistently weak yen attracted record numbers of foreign tourists whose spending power has increased to the same degree that locals’ has decreased.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Priced at 36,300 yen (around $235), the special-edition colorway’s style code is IQ3459-072.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yen
Cite this Entry
“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yen. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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